Friends and Firewhiskey
by pbk
Summary: Short and funny! Ginny and Hermione indulge in 'girl talk'; Remus and Sirius overhear. Super slight Ginny/Remus, slight Hermione/Ron


_*I know the books are from Harry's point of view, but I've always thought it would have been nice to hear a little about Hermione and Ginny's friendship. I mean, Ginny is the only other girl Hermione is ever around, and they shared rooms together at the Burrow and Grimmauld Place, so you know they talked about stuff all the time. They were sort of like the sisters neither of them had. Also, although Ginny doesn't get much story beyond what Harry tells, they definitely portray her as having a playful, mischievous streak, so I thought I'd expand on that a bit. I just love Ginny. She's my favorite character from the books, and totally underutilized, in my opinion. I wanted to explore her naughty side, as well as her friendship with Hermione. Also, I have a total crush on Remus Lupin, so any chance to use him makes me giddy. This is the result…_

_**Harry isn't in this one. This takes place during the summer before his fifth year, when he's banished to Privet Drive while everyone else is at headquarters. Kinda have to wonder about Hermione's parents, eh? Did that girl ever see them? Also, let's just assume that Ginny is already fourteen. Thirteen would be just a bit too young for this story. Oh, yeah, this has underage drinking, so if that offends you, then, you know, don't read it._

**Friends and Firewhiskey**

_**Just Another Day at Grimmauld Place**_

"Ron is just so... so..."

Ginny hugs Hermione, who is angrily wiping tears from her eyes. "I know," Ginny grunts disgustedly, "I can't believe..."

"GINNY!"

Mrs. Weasley's voice blasts through the house like a _Sonorus_ charm on a banshee. Ginny and Hermione pull apart and chuckle softly. "Later," Ginny promises, rolling her eyes as her mother's voice reverberates once more through Grimmauld Place.

*****

Remus laughs softly to himself, unnoticed in the shadows that cloak him, as he watches Ginny help her mother prepare dinner. She'd been berating Molly under her breath while peeling the potatoes, and continues to do so while dicing them. Her voice is too low to be heard by her mother, but Remus' keen hearing can pick up every utterance. He's about to step forward and offer his assistance when Arthur calls to Molly from the library, causing him to back up further against the wall as she flies by him through the doorway. Again, he's about to step forward, but an unexpected action by Ginny holds him at bay. The minute her mother is out of hearing she stabs her knife into an unsliced potato and walks quickly over to the liquor cabinet. After tossing a quick glance over her shoulder, she draws a hairpin from her coiffure and deftly picks the lock. Remus' eyebrows shoot up as he watches Ginny pull a nearly full bottle of firewhiskey from the cabinet and tuck it into the waistband of her pants. She rearranges her top to hide the slight bulge the bottle causes and walks back to her potatoes. Remus debates calling her on it, but decides as she is no longer his student, and certainly not his ward, that he would turn a blind eye. Instead, he leans in the doorway of the kitchen and clears his throat loudly, causing Ginny to look up.

"Need any help? I'm handy with a blade."

The knowing look he gives her causes the briefest flash of guilt to cross Ginny's face, then she replies with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"I don't know if you can be trusted," she smirks, handing him a knife, "I hear you're the dangerous type."

He returns her smirk with one of his own and pushes up his sleeves slightly before taking the proffered utensil. "Only to those that don't know any better, Miss Weasley."

*****

"Remus. Have you seen my firewhiskey?"

Sirius addresses him without turning around, his head shoved deep into the liquor cabinet, muffling his words.

Remus sips the last of his tea, then places the cup on the edge of the table, trying not to smile. "Sorry Padfoot. Perhaps you drank it all?"

Sirius pulls himself back out of the cabinet and turns towards Remus with an incredulous look on his face. "I think I'd remember drinking an entire bottle of firewhiskey, Mooney." Remus just lifts an eyebrow and says nothing. _"I bet not," he thinks to himself._

*****

Sirius' hair falls off his shoulders, his head shaking in frustration. He had dismissed Kreacher after thoroughly questioning _(accusing)_ him as to the whereabouts of the missing bottle. It takes several minutes, but Remus finally convinces him the house elf had nothing to do with the disappearance.

"You know, Sirius, you seem to have forgotten one important fact. A fact that may very well have something to do with your estranged firewhiskey." Remus pauses as Fred and George run through the room, followed by a screaming, red faced Ron.

"Grimmauld Place has been overrun by teenagers."

*****

Sirius paces back and forth in front of his family tree. Leaning against it are Fred, George and Ron. The twins are openly smirking and Ron is trying not to look confused. Hermione sits across the room in a straight backed chair, eyeing the group from over the edge of her book. Remus has perched himself on the arm of the chair opposite Hermione, looking vastly amused.

"So," Sirius asks, running a thin hand through his wavy hair, "none of you know anything what happened to my bottle of firewhiskey, eh?"

Three heads shake 'no' vigorously.

"If I were to search your rooms, I wouldn't find anything?"

Fred and George look at each other warily before turning back towards Sirius. "I wouldn't recommend searching our room, mate." George nods in enthusiastic agreement. "You never know what you might find."

At that moment, Ginny walks through the den, carrying a basket of laundry. "Hey guys," she smiles brightly, a picture of wholesome innocence. Sirius returns her smile and waits for her to exit the room before turning back to face the twins.

"Why can't you two be more like your sister?"

At this, Remus excuses himself from the room, choking on his laughter.

*****

The sound of stifled laughter makes Ginny look up from the pile of laundry she's sorting. "Hey there, Professor."

"It's just Remus. I'm not your professor anymore." Ginny shrugs, tossing a pair of jeans on top of a steadily growing pile. "Well, you call me Miss Weasley. I'm just playing 'follow the leader'."

Remus hoists himself up and balances on the edge of the washing machine. "Fair enough, Ginny." She looks up at him, grinning. "Whatever you say, Remus."

He laughs at the impertinence in her voice. "You know," he says, motioning with his head towards the doorway, "they're being yelled at for something you did."

"Are they?" Ginny raises her eyebrows, a smile cracking her face. "Classic." She separates a few more articles of clothing, then looks up at him, a little more serious. "You're not gonna go fink on me, are you?"

Remus shakes his head 'no'. "I must say, though, you seem a little young to be drinking."

Ginny gives an unladylike snort. "Please. With my older brothers? Trust me, I can hold my own. It's not really for me, though." Remus tilts his head, giving her an inquiring look. She shakes her head and gives a rueful laugh, her hair loosening from its restraints.

"Hermione." She says the name as though it explains everything. When he doesn't respond, she continues. "Don't get me wrong, I love Hermione, I do, but sometimes she acts like… well… she's got a wand up her butt or something. She needs to let loose a bit. Plus, Ron was being a total prat to her earlier and she got all upset."

Remus chuckles a bit at Ginny's description of her friend. "What did Ron do?" She rolls her eyes and lets out a disgusted breath. "She spent over an hour this morning trying to make her hair look nice, and his idea of a compliment was telling her that she 'almost looked like a girl'. Can you believe that?"

Remus could believe it, in fact. _Open mouth, insert foot. That's Ron in a nutshell_. "Ah, young love." Ginny shakes her head again, another rueful laugh.

"Tell me about it."

*****

Remus leans in the doorway, watching Sirius tentatively pick through various items strewn about the twins' room. The search of Ron's room hadn't turned up anything, not that Sirius had expected it to. Ron didn't have the yarbles to pull off a booze snatching caper without giving himself away, in the ex-convict's opinion. Remus' shoulders shook with laughter as Sirius jumped back, yelping as some seemingly inanimate object on the floor moved towards him, snapping.

"Give it up, Padfoot. The only thing you're going to find in here is a headache." Sirius gave a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "I feel like I'm going mad, Mooney. I _know _I didn't misplace that bottle, and you know Molly told me I _had _to keep the liquor locked away." Sirius' tone of voice left no illusion as to his feelings on being told what to do in his own home by the likes of Molly Weasley. Remus could feel himself caving at the truly distraught look on his best and oldest living friend's face.

"Come on," he said, putting his arm around Sirius, leading him back into the hallway, "let's get out of here before Fred and George find out you've been invading their privacy."

"It is my house, you know. I have the right to go in whatever room I want." The look on Sirius' face was so petulant that it gave him the appearance of an overgrown child.

"It's your house, all right," Remus agreed, "it's just that you're outnumbered."

*****

Sirius looks up from the chessboard again, his eyes drawn up the stairs to the piercing sound of rather bawdy laughter. "It's your move," Remus tells him, trying to keep the amusement off his face. Sirius scowls and moves his bishop. "How can I pay attention with all that racket? What's so funny, anyway?"

Remus shrugs nonchalantly. "They're probably just drunk." He takes the bishop with his rook. "Checkmate."

"Damn," Sirius mutters. Then, "Drunk? Ginny Weasley? Hermione Granger? Pull the other one, Mooney."

Remus just shakes his head. "I'm serious."

"No, I'm Sirius," he replies, falling back on an old joke, earning him an eye roll from his friend. "Yes, that one never does get old, does it? Look, if you don't believe me, then just go find out for yourself."

Sirius leans back in his chair, stroking his chin for a moment. "Okay. Let's."

*****

_Earlier that evening…_

Hermione flops down on the bed and kicks off her shoes. With an aggravated grunt, she begins to yank out the pins holding her hair. "Here, let me." Ginny sits down on the bed and scoots behind her, raising her hands to Hermione's hair, releasing it gently from its holds. They're both silent, but Ginny can feel Hermione's shoulders shaking with repressed tears. She puts her arms around the other girl, bringing her back into a hug.

"Your brother," Hermione whispers shakily, "I swear. I could just scream."

"I know the feeling," Ginny agrees, "but I've got a better idea." Her hand sneaks under the mattress, searching. With a grunt, it emerges, holding a bottle of amber liquid. Hermione lets out a gasp. Ginny presents the bottle to her with a flourish.

"Ta da!"

"But… but that's alcohol! Not to mention it's Sirius'!" she manages to sputter. Ginny fights not to roll her eyes. "Yeah, I know. We'll drink all we want then plant the bottle in Ron's room later. C'mon, it'll be fun!" Hermione shakes her head, slowly. This time Ginny does roll her eyes. "You know I'm not going to let up until you agree, so you may as well give in now. Just one. I think you need it." Ginny hops off the bed and skips over to the dresser, grabbing two small glasses and filling them halfway full of the potent liquid. She walks back over to the bed, holding one out in offering. Hermione takes a deep breath, then reaches out her hand to grab the glass.

"What the hell. I'm in."

*****

Sirius leads Remus through a passageway in the back of the closet of his bedroom. "I used to use this all the time to sneak in to Regulus' room." Since this was the room the two girls were occupying, it managed to still be handy. The fit in the passage was tight, and the two grown men were scooting themselves across, rather than walking. When they got to the end of the passage, the girls' voices were clear and legible through the thin wall. Sirius reached out to open the passageway into the room, but drew his hand back at the sound of his name.

*****

"He is hot, isn't he?" Hermione giggled, then hiccupped loudly, cupping her hand over her mouth in astonishment, then broke out in giggles again. Ginny took another swig from the bottle and shook her head in agreement. "Oh yeah, he's totally hot. But he's almost too pretty, in a way. I mean, I'm the girl; I would want to be the pretty one. With a guy as pretty a Sirius, a girl wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Still," Ginny continued, after a quiet moment of thought, "I bet he's hurting for it; I mean, how many years was he in Azkaban?" Hermione gasped loudly, then reached over and smacked her companion in the arm. "Ginny," she shrieked as the other girl grinned evilly. Then her voice dropped, almost to a whisper. "You haven't ever…?"

"Oh, Merlin, no!" Ginny replied indignantly, and then chuckled. "Michael wishes! I mean, we've messed around some, but no, not that!" She gazed over at Hermione from the corner of her eyes. "Have you?" Hermione blushed a deep scarlet, but shook her head negatively. "No. Although I let Viktor get farther than I probably ought have. Really, I don't even think I did it because I wanted to. I think I was just so pissed off at Ron that…"

"It was like getting back at him?" Ginny finished as her friend trailed off. Hermione blushed again, but nodded in agreement. "I can totally understand that. Still, Viktor Krum. That would have been a nice notch on the belt, eh? He's older, too. I bet he knows more than all those two-pump chumps at Hogwarts."

Hermione spewed the drink she was currently taking, and then choked on her laughter. "God, Gin! Where did you hear a term like that?" Ginny shrugged, taking the bottle from Hermione and helping herself to another swig. "Blaise Zabini. Except when he used it he was referring to Gryffindor guys. Apparently he thinks Syltherins are better in the sack than anyone from the other houses."

Hermione's glazed eyes narrowed shrewdly. "And why, pray tell, was Mr. Zabini discussing this with you?" Ginny looked up, meeting Hermione's gaze, but just hummed out a noncommittal noise and passed her the bottle. "Enough of that," she stated emphatically, "let's talk about something better, like how hot you are for Sirius Black."

"I'm not 'hot for him', Ginevra. I just find him… aesthetically pleasing." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, well, pardon me. That's totally different." Hermione reached out and shoved Ginny, almost knocking her off the bed. "Besides, you think he's hot, too!"

"Yeah, he's hot all right, but he's got nothing on Professor Lupin." Ginny scoffed at Hermione's shocked look. "Oh, please. As if you never thought about it! I mean, there he is, this relatively mild mannered, soft spoken guy, who can turn into a maniacal beast that can rip you limb from limb, leaving nothing but the skin on your bones…" Ginny trailed off for a minute, and then shuddered. "Yeah, that's the kind of prof I wouldn't mind doing detention with!" Hermione reached to take the bottle from Ginny's hand, and then frowned disappointedly. "Hey, it's empty!" Ginny yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "I guess that's last call, then. Don't let me forget to plant that bottle in Ron's room tomorrow."

*****

Remus and Sirius closed the panel on the passageway and stood in the middle of Sirius' closet, gazing at the spots just behind the other's shoulder. Finally Remus clears his throat.

"So…"

"We're going to let Ron take the fall for that bottle, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely."


End file.
